Modulating the consolidation of spatial memories via enhancement of EEG theta rhythm through audio-visual sensory entrainment

记忆，即随着时间的推移存储和检索数据或信息的能力，是人类认知的关键功能。因此，记忆的“巩固”意味着从一种短期的、相对不稳定的形式过渡到一种更强大的、长期的形式--持续几天、几个月甚至几年。当处于快速可塑性的初始状态时，特别是新的海马连接形成时，长期巩固的渐进过程涉及海马-新皮层的相互作用。一个似乎与记忆巩固有关的特殊神经信号，也是我研究的中心，是EEG θ节律：θ振荡的相位被证明可以调节啮齿动物海马突触的可塑性; θ波振荡和记忆之间的联系也在人类头皮脑电图研究中得到了描述。也许，真正的新皮层和海马theta节律相互作用，差异有助于memory.Preliminary研究我的主机研究小组在西北大学和其他人都指出了一个有前途的方法来研究theta相关的记忆processing，通过增强脑电theta节律通过“感官夹带”，即通过应用有节奏的听觉和/或视觉刺激theta频率。在此基础上，本课题的研究目标如下：1. 建立空间信息记忆巩固与提取的研究范式2。 通过θ和β频率的双峰同步视听感觉夹带调制采集后EEG振荡3。 分析视听θ夹带对记忆巩固的影响，与β夹带和无刺激控制条件相比，我期望1。 更大的θ与更好的空间记忆的后续回忆相关2。 获得后θ振荡的感觉夹带导致更好的记忆表现3. 采集后β夹带与记忆性能无关

Memory, i.e. the capacity to store and retrieve data or information over time, is a key function of human cognition. The “consolidation” of memories thereby denotes the transition from a short-term, relatively unstable form, to a more robust, long-term form – lasting days to months and even years. While in the initial state of rapid plasticity, in particular new hippocampal connections are formed, the gradual process of long-term consolidation involves hippocampal-neocortical interactions.One particular neural signal that seems to be linked to memory consolidation and that is in the center of my study, is the EEG theta rhythm: The phase of theta oscillations was shown to modulate hippocampal synaptic plasticity in rodents; and connections between theta oscillations and memory have also been described in human scalp EEG studies. Probably, both genuine neocortical and hippocampal theta rhythms interact and differentially contribute to memory.Preliminary studies of both my host research group at Northwestern University and others have pointed to a promising method to study theta-related memory processing, by enhancing EEG theta rhythm via “sensory entrainment”, i.e. via application of rhythmic auditory and/or visual stimulation at theta frequency. Based on this preliminary work, my research project aims at the following objectives: 1. Establishing a paradigm examining memory consolidation and retrieval for spatial information2. Modulating post-acquisition EEG oscillations through bimodal synchronous audio-visual sensory entrainment at theta and beta frequencies3. Analyzing the effects of the audio-visual theta entrainment on memory consolidation, in comparison to both the beta entrainment and to a no-stimulation control condition I expect1. a larger theta to be associated with better subsequent recall for spatial memories2. the post-acquisition sensory entrainment of theta oscillations to lead to a better memory performance 3. the post-acquisition beta entrainment not to be related to memory performance